Lichen and Quartzite

I took these photos in the hills around Grace Lake in Killarney Provincial Park. I was gobsmacked by the colours in the quartzite, and entranced by the textures of the lichen.

Moss - the rock is so white it looks like snow.

This piece had sheared off. It looks like marble to me.

A pink spot.

Rock face near the shoreline of our campsite.

These lichen patches reminded me of snowflakes.

Pink, alabaster and grey-green.

I had to wait for the morning sun to illuminate this rock face.

Here's a stitchery just waiting to be born.

Ram's horns? Shells? The Golden Mean?

I'm going to play with some of these images in thread and cloth and beads. I had collected fibre art supplies years ago with lichen images in mind. It seems like my inspiration has finally come at a time in my life when I can commit to creating something just to please myself.

Oh, and Anita emailed me to admit she was crazy about lichen too.

Grace Lake, Killarney Provincial Park

We did our annual canoe trip to nearby Killarney Provincial Park 2 weeks ago. This time we stayed in the north end of the park, with 3 nights at Grace Lake and 1 night at Nellie. Canada's Group of Seven painters sketched and painted in many areas of Killarney. One of Franklin Carmichael's favorite places to paint were the La Cloche Mountains and Grace Lake.

I stitched two photographs together to get this image, taken from one of the hilltops above the lake.

The La Cloche Mountains are brilliant white quartzite, with shots of rose pink, gray and the occasional melon orange. They are ancient and worn down to hills. We spent the days scrambling around the hills, enjoying the views, taking lots of photos and enjoying the last warm days of the summer.

Log and stone markers, thoughtfully placed by previous visitors, directed us to the hilltops.

The hill above our campsite.

Sasha and Lily beside an inukshuk marker. Sid took this photo.

Glacier scrapes.

Wintergreen grew everywhere.

My next post will show my new obsession with lichens. I may be the only person I know who would spend so many hours photographing lichen. I'm a cheap date, what can I say!

Watercolour - Fungus

"No spring nor summer beauty had such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face"
John Donne

Lilac Lane Quilts

Lilac Lane Quilts, a shop in Alliston, Ontario, will be hosting my trunk show and Botanical Art Small Wall Quilts Workshop. The trunk show is scheduled for 7:30 pm, Oct. 31st and the workshop is Nov. 1st from 8 am - 4 pm.

Lilac Lane's owner, Liz Schueler, has gone flat out for this event! She is making up kits for the quilts, and will be selling the patterns and all the related items required to make my quilts. Liz has a bright, bubbly personality and is wonderful to work with.

Liz can be reached toll-free at 1-866-435-1041, or emailed at liz@lilaclanequilts.com.

Some of my quilts on display at the shop.

Joe-Pye Weed

Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) is fading now.

Blueberry Lake, Temagami: Old Growth Trail 2

Continued from previous posts:

Mushrooms and fungi were in abundance. I can't identify them - I need a friend to teach me mushroomology.

This one was so bizarre...

Moose poop looks like giant rabbit poop.

Pileated Woodpecker holes in a red pine.

This is probably a Pink Ladyslipper orchid. I saw these orchids everywhere around Blueberry Lake. The wildflower display must be beautiful in May.

This tree was blasted by lightning. Can you imagine the incredible force?

And this is what remained of the top after the blast.

I would love to lead ecology trips to this area. But what would I call the tour - Tiptoe through the Twinflowers? Nibble your way through the Northwoods? This is what Northern Ontario looks like when people haven't altered the landscape. This is my genius loci.

Blueberry Lake, Temagami: Old Growth Trail 1

Continued from previous 2 posts:

After a leisurely breakfast of porridge and English Breakfast Tea, we set off across the lake to the Old Growth Trail.

There are several distinct habitats on the trail. We had preprinted the Guide to the Blueberry Lake Ecology Trails from the ancientforest.org site, and started the hike up the hillside.

The first thing I noticed were the many clumps of Indian Pipe (Monotrope uniflora). This unusual plant gets its nourishment from fungal connections between its roots and the nearby trees. It is a ghostly white colour.

Indian Pipe

The trail was also chock full of Clintonia borealis, also known as Blue Bead Lily. The following photo shows the glossy dark blue beads which are the seeds that originate from pretty yellow flowers in the spring.

Blue Bead Lily

I soon spotted mats of Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), and well as delicious Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Wintergreen leaves are yummy to chew on as you hike the trail!

Wintergreen

There was an amazing diversity of trees: Red Pine, White Pine, White Spruce, Black Spruce, White Cedar, Aspen, White Birch, Yellow Birch, Red Oak, Sugar Maple and Mountain Maple.

Sugar Maples - how green can green be?

Huge old White Pine

Red Pine canopy

The next post will continue with the Old Growth Trail.